Tiger wrestlers finish regular season with loss

For the third straight dual meet, only three Tiger wrestlers were able to win their matches, this latest instance coming against Iowa State on Feb. 14.

No. 3 senior Max Askren was the only Tiger to win by major decision, beating No. 11 redshirt sophomore Jerome Ward 9-1 at 184 pounds. No. 16 junior Todd Schavrien was a winner at 141 pounds, and freshman Eric Wilson won his first match in conference play at 125 pounds.

No. 5 senior Nick Marable and No. 5 senior Mark Ellis both lost to Cyclone opponents ranked in the top five, as did No. 10 redshirt freshman Brent Haynes, Missouri’s newest wrestler to appear in the top ten. Haynes lost a major decision to No. 1 senior Jake Varner at 197 pounds.

The regular season and dual play is now over for the Tigers who finished 7-7 overall and 1-3 in the Big 12. Missouri will compete in the Big 12 Championships in Norman, Okla., March 6. The team’s three seniors Askren, Ellis and Marable, have all won Big 12 titles during their careers. Marable won at 165 pounds last season.

Aside from the seniors, Schavrien and Haynes are Tiger wrestlers that could make a run at a title in March. Schavrien went 2-2 in conference play but lost his two matches by a total of four points.

Haynes came into the week ranked in the top 10 and has beaten a couple of highly ranked opponents this season, including No. 8 sophomore Alan Gelogaev of Oklahoma State. However, he will compete in a weight class in which all of his opponents are ranked in the top 10, including the top two in the nation.